The World's Oldest Working Clock The World's Oldest Working Clock comments, called-out When they weren’t drinking mead, toiling in the fields or dying from the bubonic plague, the people of 14th century England were going to church. A lot. That’s why the oldest working clock in Europe, and quite possibly the world, can be found in an English cathedral, and was built as a means to (loudly) remind the locals that one of the day’s seven or eight church services were about to start. More than 600 years later, that very same clock is faithfully “ticking” away, its large, iron cogs slowly rotating as a small shaft clinks into a metal cog every four seconds. The clock, which is located in Salisbury Cathedral in southern England, was commissioned by Bishop Erghum and dates from about 1386. There was apparently a mechanical clock already working in Milan, Italy, by 1335, but the Salisbury clock is the oldest of its kind known to still be working. With its massive iron wheels and long ropes reaching halfway up the cathedral walls, it looks more like an industrial-age engine than the clocks we know today.

But it did the trick, chiming a bell on the hour, for 24 hours a day. The word “clock” comes from the same root as glocke, the German word for bell, since the earliest clocks were meant to be listened to, not “watched.” The clocks of medieval times were probably grossly inaccurate, but that didn’t really matter. “In those days people didn’t need to know if it was four minutes to 11,” said Dudley Heather, head of guides at Salisbury Cathedral. “They just needed to know when it was time to go to church, or perhaps to eat.” Mechanical clocks like the one in Salisbury Cathedral came to fundamentally change the way time was measured. Before it, only astronomers divided a day into 24 hours, while everyone else gave the periods of day and night 12 “temporal hours,” the length of which varied throughout the year. The clocks of ancient times relied on some sort of repetitive process: the rising and setting of the sun for sundials, and water dripping from a hole at the bottom of a stone vessel with water clocks, which were used as far back as 1500 B.C.

But the Salisbury clock was an example of how clock makers had shifted from the continuous flow of things like water and sand, to measuring small increments of time. It works via a system of weights and pulleys. Two long ropes are wound up a couple of spools, or barrels, and each is then threaded through a pulley about 20 feet above the clock. At the bottom end of each rope is a weight, originally made from lead, now stone. Each rope is fully wound back around the barrels every morning, pulling the weights to the top. As the day wears on, they slowly sink back down to the floor. Key to everything is the “verge and foliot,” a clever mechanism right inside the clock that maintains the weights’ slow descent and the keeping of time. It is essentially two small weights on either side of a small, horizontal beam that is suspended by a thread, called the foliot.

The weighted beam is pushed back and forth while a vertical rod in the middle of the beam, the verge, then catches against the “teeth” of a rotating wheel every four seconds, with a sonorous “clink.” While one of the barrels drives the verge and foliot, the other, rarely used today, controls the hourly striking of the bell. The invention of the verge and foliot was critical in the development of time keeping. It was the first mechanism that used repetition to keep the time, and paved the way for pendulum clocks. Previously, people had relied on the flow of water, as with water clocks, and it’s probable that the three makers of the Salisbury clock used either a water clock or sundial to calibrate their device. Centuries after its creation, the Salisbury clock was replaced by a more modern device that chimed quarterly, and it was tucked away into the cathedral’s bell tower. When in 1930 a curious horologist noticed its dusty old iron framework, he immediately suspected its historical importance. Today the clock has been refurbished to its former glory, with only a few small parts replaced in the 1950s by Derbyshire clock makers.

To save it from any extra wear and tear, it no longer chimes, save for the odd demonstration to clock enthusiasts a few times a year. While Salisbury Cathedral doesn’t know how much Bishop Erghum paid for his clock, it was probably quite a lot. Clocks in these days were made from iron or brass, which were expensive metals, and these sorts of clocks took months, perhaps even years, to build. The whole community was expected to chip in for the town clock since it would help everyone organize their daily routines. The Bishop, no doubt eager to get the newest technology for the Cathedral, probably had to pass a basket or two around to get enough donations from his parishioners. If they had grumbled about it at the time, the locals would almost certainly have been impressed when the clock was finally in full, working order, faithfully chiming out the hours. And they would have been simply amazed if they could have known that their Cathedral clock would still be up and running centuries later. Medieval Clock at Salisbury Cathedral – Salisbury, England | Atlas Obscura See more things to do in England » Salisbury Cathedral was still relatively young when the Medieval Clock was originally installed in a separate clock tower (demolished in 1789).

Without a face, the clock was designed for one thing only: to ring a bell on the hour to remind local parishioners of service times. Although it no longer chimes, thanks to an extensive restoration, today the clock functions much in the same way as it did more than 600 years ago, slowly clicking away the hours in the north aisle of the nave. The design of this clock introduced to Salisbury the also relatively new concept of standardized hours, rather than the ever-shifting increments, based on the seasons, that came before, in the era of sundials. The clock is wound manually, through the turning of large wheels, which raise weights. The descending weights turn rope-bound barrels, which in turn power the clock. The clock was disassembled and restored in 1956. Since then the age of the clock has come into question several times. No one seems to debate that Salisbury Cathedral had a clock dating to 1386, but the design of this clock has led some to speculate that this may not be that same machine. Similar clocks found elsewhere in the U.K. and Europe have been dated to the 1500s.

A notable exception, the very similar Wells Cathedral Clock, is also dated to the 14th century, however the same doubts exist about its date as the Salisbury Clock. The debate continues among horological types, but most seem to favor the Medieval dating of Salisbury’s giant timepiece. World's oldest mechanical clock 'to be wound by hand for last time' - Telegraph Culture News World's oldest mechanical clock 'to be wound by hand for last time' The world's oldest working mechanical clock is to be fitted with an electric motor for the first time after being wound by hand every week for more than 600 years. Image 1 of 3 The face of the ancient clock at Wells Cathedral, which is believed to be the world's oldest working mechanical clock. Photo: SWNS Image 1 of 3 Paul Fisher, 63, pictured with the clock mechanism has announced his retirement from the Wells Cathedral job. Photo: SWNS Follow The mechanism on the Clock , at Wells Cathedral in Somerset, will be set manually for the last time next week, following the retirement of the last member of a family who has maintained it for almost a century.

Experts say the clock, which tracks the sun across the sky and records the stages of the moon, is a marvel of medieval craftsmanship. Over the past 90 years the clock, the world's oldest continually-working mechanical timepiece, has been wound by five different generations of the Fisher family. Since 1987, Paul Fisher has been undertaking the exhausting task of spending an hour, three times a week, turning the three 250kg weights about 800 times. But on Thursday the horologist, 63, announced his retirement as the official “Keeper of the Great Clock of Wells”. Related Articles Church bell-ringer gets tangled in ropes 06 Nov 2012 “I'm a bit sad that all these years of history are coming to an end but winding the clock by hand is just so time consuming,” said Mr Fisher, who is also retiring from the family jewellery business. "I feel very proud and privileged to have wound this magnificent clock and that my family has been involved in such a historic task.” While he will keep a “watchful eye” on it, his decision will mean that from Monday it will instead be powered by an automatic electric motor.

Mr Fisher’s family took over responsibility in 1919 after his grandfather, Leo Fisher, returned from First World War service. Leo Fisher’s sons, Ken and Toni, continued the tradition in 1935 before his daughters, Ruth and Mary, took over during the Second World War. It then fell to Mr Fisher, who has shared the task with his son Mark, 39, and his four grandchildren, who were paid a nominal fee for their duties. Mark Fisher admitted it was a “real shame” his business commitments meant he could not continue the tradition. "My father is retiring and it's quite an involved job so it's physically impossible for me to run the shop and look after the clock at the same time,” he said. The timepiece, installed in the late 1380s, is dated to around the same time as the Salisbury Cathedral clock, Wilts, which is widely perceived as the world's oldest timer but has not run continually since it was built and does not have a dial. It has been replaced twice, most recently in 1880, but the clock’s face and figures clock date from the 14th Century.

The weights, which are winched up on a pulley system, power the clock as they descend over the next two days. The astronomical clock, situated in the cathedral's triforium, has a 24-hour dial and shows both the time and the phases of the moon in front of a background of stars. Above it is a figure, “Jack Blandifers”, who hits the bells on the hour with a hammer and his heels, while a pair of knights chase each other above the dial every 15 minutes. Wells Cathedral officials said the mechanical clock was being replaced because they were unable to find a suitable replacement for Mr Fisher. Administrator Paul Richards said: "Mr Fisher's leaving is a reminder that we are responsible for caring for the Cathedral and other spiritual and heritage treasures for this and future generations to come." It will be wound for the last time at 9.30am on Saturday while the electronic motor will be funded by the Friends of the Wells Cathedral.

Salisbury Cathedral, the world's tallest medieval building, is 750 years old Salisbury Cathedral, the world's tallest medieval building, is 750 years old Salisbury Cathedral, the world's tallest medieval building, is 750 years old Blackleaf #1Sep 24th, 2008 Britain is a country blessed with beautiful and glorious ancient building, an absolute treasure trove. One of its finest jewels must be Salisbury Cathedral, the great landmark of the city f Salisbury in Wiltshire. It was built in 1258 during the reign of King Henry III. It has an incredibly tall spire - a whopping 403 feet (123 metres) tall. This makes it the tallest medieval building in the world. For the first 72 years of its existence, Salisbury Cathedral didn't have this tall spire What makes this building even more incredible is that it has reach such an age when its foundations are just 4 feet deep! Salisbury Cathedral also contains the world's oldest working clock (from 1386) and has one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta (all four original copies are in Britain).

In 1655, a cathedral employee called "Old Hayley the Plumber" shinned up to the top of the spire and there, on the ledge, he 'roasted a shoulder of mutton and a couple of fowles'. History does not relate how he got down after eating that lot. ROBERT HARDMAN: Happy 750th birthday to Salisbury Cathedral - but why hasn't it fallen down years ago? 23rd September 2008 Daily Mail To many, this is the most glorious building in Britain. But as Salisbury Cathedral reaches its 750th birthday, the real wonder is that it didn't fall down years ago... Some would say Venice. Some might plump for the Taj Mahal. But there are many who have travelled the world, seen the sights and still believe the prettiest building on Earth is Salisbury Cathedral. It is a sight which has lured some of the greatest artists, including Turner, Constable and Whistler, down to Wiltshire. It mellowed that giant among curmudgeons, the late Sir Edward Heath, so much so that he retired here.

Approach the ancient city from any direction and you will spy the cathedral's spire long before anything else. It is, famously, the tallest in the land. But it is also the tallest medieval structure in the world. Even in this secular age, its majesty can lift the bleakest soul. Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, famous for its tall spire, is celebrating its 750th birthday - but it is a miracle it has not fallen down because the foundations are just 4ft deep Draw closer, and you approach it through Britain's largest and most spectacular Cathedral Close, 84 enchanting riverside acres containing some of England's loveliest homes. But this place is more than just a thing of exceptional beauty. The more you look around it, the more staggering it is. All the great medieval cathedrals leave you thinking: how on earth did they build that? Salisbury, however, is more baffling than its rivals. Most took centuries to build and, consequently, are a hotch-potch of styles. Salisbury Cathedral was built in just 38 years - by a mere 300 men led by the brilliant architect, Elias de Derham.

It is, therefore, a thoroughbred of early English Gothic. Equally impressive is the fact that it hasn't fallen down. The foundations go just 4ft deep and sit on a gravel riverbed. These days, council planning bods would have condemned it before it got off the ground. Yet it has stood there quite happily, a constant feature in an ever-changing world since before the Black Death. And this weekend it marks a very important milestone. Salisbury Cathedral is about to celebrate its 750th birthday. It was in September 1258 that Henry III and anyone else who mattered in medieval England turned up for the consecration of this colossal display of devotion and God-fearing hard graft. Now, 750 years on, there have been months of anniversary events which will reach their climax on Sunday when the Archbishop of Canterbury turns up to rededicate the cathedral and 'christen' a new font by the water sculptor William Pye. This being Salisbury, of course, it will be the largest font in Britain. This has to be the spiritual home of the superlative.

King Henry III (1207 -1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. He was also the first child monarch in English royal history (after the Conquest in 1066). he reigned between 1216 and 1272 [[Picture copied from I-SEE ALL encyclopedia]] As the city prepares for the celebrations, I have come to pay homage to one Britain's great beauties. And, like countless visitors before me, I am soon under its spell. Even in the rain, I feel inspired as I pass through the High Street Gate into the Cathedral Close. Crucially, Salisbury is not a big place. Though a city in name, it's more of a market town. You turn off its pretty three-storey streets and, suddenly, slap bang in front of you, there is a mountain of carved stone that should be crowning a mighty European capital, not sitting in a Wiltshire meadow. I feel like an ant bumping into an elephant. The effect is the same on the inside.

You enter at the western end of the nave and there is an uninterrupted view the entire 449ft length of the cathedral from one fabulous daze of stained glass to the other. The new font is being installed near a tick-tocking assembly of cogs and shafts that looks like a Victorian contraption for making something. Not so. It turns out to be the oldest medieval clock in Europe. There goes another superlative. . . But it is Salisbury's vertical supremacy for which it is best known. I want to see what keeps that spire in place apart from luck and faith in the Almighty. My tour guide, Caroline Waldman, urges me to press my face next to the central marble pillars and look up. They are very gently curved, bending under the weight of the mighty spike. 'The medieval master masons very quickly worked out that the weight of the spire was going to be a problem, so they built these buttresses and made it safe,' says Caroline, a volunteer guide here for 11 years. She does it because she simply loves the place, just like all the other volunteers - 600 of them no less.

We head up a narrow spiral staircase and are soon immersed in a glorious labyrinth of stone passages and wooden walkways. Anyone can book a two-hour 'tower tour' for less than the price of tea and scones in Salisbury. But it's not for the faint-hearted. Caroline is quick to point out that there are 332 steps up to the top of the tower, where the spire begins. As we walk along the rafters above the nave, far from public view, she points out a charming little carving of a fox's head left in the stone by a medieval mason. I wonder why he would go to all that trouble when no one would see it. 'Ah, but the thinking was that God would see it,' says Caroline. More stairwells, more narrow steps and we surface in the Bell Chamber. For the first 72 years of the cathedral's life, this was its highest point until the clergy added their whopping great spire in to get even nearer to God. The largest bell is a 3,000lb medieval monster which was melted down and recast in honour of the restoration of Charles II.

The King came up to see it in person, causing such a scrum that two people were pushed to their deaths. We keep climbing until we pass beneath a low arch and creep onto a wooden platform. There, above us, is the spire. We are 223ft above the ground and yet this thing stretches up another 181ft up. It is a mysterious dark void until Caroline flicks a switch and lights up an enormous framework of medieval timber stretching up to the top. I had imagined that the ancient exterior would be propped up by the latest in titanium girders and reinforced cables. In fact, it is simply the same old beams, hacked down by ancient foresters using primitive tools. Awe-inspiring: Salisbury Cathedral sits in picturesque grounds and, below, a look inside shows how magnificent the structure is There is a wonderful smell of history - dust, wood, creosote, rope. Pinned to the wall, rather incongruously, is the Guinness Book Of Records certificate, signed by the McWhirter twins, declaring that this is Britain's tallest spire. Small doors on all four sides lead out on to small balconies offering magnificent views as far afield as Dorset.

I see the River Avon meandering along the back of Sir Edward Heath's old home, Arundells. Far away, in the hills beyond the city, is what remains of Old Sarum, the Iron Age fort where an earlier cathedral once stood. Turning skywards, I see that the spire is actually off-centre. We are not talking Tower of Pisa, but it is definitely leaning. Back in 1668, the wily old Sir Christopher Wren calculated that it was leaning 27-and-a-half inches to the South and 17-and-a-half to the West. Modern laser techniques have shown that he was pretty much spot on. I cannot go any higher. The only people allowed up the spire are professional climbers. Back in 1655, a cathedral employee called Old Hayley the Plumber shinned up to the top of the spire and there, on the ledge, he 'roasted a shoulder of mutton and a couple of fowles'. History does not relate how he got down after eating that lot.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams will rededicate Salisbury Cathedral on Sunday These days, steeplejacks with ropes and harnesses climb up ladders inside the spire and then crawl out through a small window on to the roof 40ft from the top, where they pull themselves up the roof on a series of metal rungs. But who built the rungs? Like so much else around here, that remains a mystery. Back on the ground, I meet the modern incarnations of those intrepid medieval craftsmen. Behind the cathedral cloisters, foreman Ted Hillier, 62, runs the maintenance team. 'When I was in the building trade, some buildings were designed to last 25 years, and this one's still going after 750,' he says. 'It's a funny feeling.' In the workshop, a team of masons are carefully hacking away at pieces of newly quarried local stone, and I am amazed to find that little has changed in more than seven centuries. 'They didn't have tungsten-tipped tools, of course, but we do things the same,' says Gerald Wilson, 60.

Nearby, John Parsons, 38, is turning another block of stone into an ornate piece of replacement archway for the cloister. John has been here since he left school at 16 and even makes his own tools in a local forge. It will take him a fortnight to shape a single length of stone no longer than his arm. So what do these men think of their 13th-century predecessors? 'Some of their stuff is a bit dubious. The line doesn't always run properly,' says John. 'But when you think of the conditions they were working in, it's amazing.' Like most ancient buildings, Salisbury Cathedral has the mandatory curtain of scaffolding on one side. There was even scaffolding up when Turner painted the place. 'We've had scaffolding moving round the outside since 1985 and our plan is to get rid of it all by 2015 - just in time for the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta,' says the Dean, the Very Reverend June Osborne.

'Then we hope to keep the cathedral uncluttered for 100 years until we have to start again.' Her responsibilities include overseeing 80 full-time staff, a choir school of 200 and a budget of &pound;5 million. It's unusual to find a Madam Dean in an ancient cathedral but, as I am now well aware, Salisbury likes to stand apart from the herd. In 1991, it became the first cathedral to recruit a girls' choir, overturning more than a thousand years of received wisdom to the effect that only boys can sing like angels. Now the boys and girls sing alternate services - although they will join forces for the big 750th service with the Archbishop. 'When we started, everyone said there would be huge rivalry and that the girls would deter the boys,' says David Halls, director of music. 'But it simply hasn't been the case. It works extremely well.' As the school day finishes, it's the turn of the girls to walk across the Close to sing Evensong. The sound of them practising brings the tourists to a standstill. Once again, Elias de Derham's masterpiece has cast its spell.

Happy 750th, Salisbury. The rest of us will always be looking up to you. dailymail.co.uk Step Into Medieval England In Salisbury Cathedral | Trip101 Step Into Medieval England In Salisbury Cathedral Search the best Holiday Homes & Rentals Destination: Search the best accommodation deals Destination/Hotel or property name: Ellie Posted Jun 20, 2016 Visiting Salisbury Cathedral should be on every traveller's bucket list. It has so much to offer, from its stunning architecture to its world-famous artifacts like the Magna Carta. On a visit you can gaze at beautiful stained glass windows, climb a spire and look out over the whole of the city, witness a piece of paper that changed the world and listen to the ticking off the world's oldest clock, all in one place. Come and let English history blow you away! Read also: Savour Fine Art And Architecture At St Paul’s Cathedral In London Climb the UK's tallest church spire Salisbury Cathedral can be seen for miles around—you won't be able to miss it when approaching the city!

Its magnificent spire is one of England's most iconic sights, and, at 123 m (404 ft) high, it is the UK's tallest spire. It is also one of the country's oldest cathedrals, consecrated in 1220 and completed in 1258. At Salisbury Cathedral you can do more than simply gaze up at the spire from ground level; it is also possibly to climb the spire as part of a tour, where you can look down on the nave from above and see the original Medieval scaffolding inside. You will then be able to gaze upon the whole of Salisbury and its beautiful surrounding countryside, while in the presence of a knowledgeable guide who can answer all your questions. It is definitely an experience you will never forget. See our full list of recommended hotels near Salisbury Cathedral and also compare the prices with vacation rentals near Salisbury Cathedral Marvel at the incredible interior The outside of Salisbury Cathedral is stunning, but the inside is arguably even more so. The high ceilings, beautiful stained glass windows and huge colourful columns will take your breath away.

Make sure you take your time and explore every corner, as Salisbury Cathedral is home to a large number of tributes, tombs, statues and models, many dating back centuries. It is truly amazing walking through this enormous building and thinking back to it being built 800 years ago. See our full list of recommended hotels near Salisbury Cathedral and also compare the prices with vacation rentals near Salisbury Cathedral Watch the world's oldest clock One of Salisbury Cathedral's lesser known attractive features is that it is the home to the world's oldest functioning mechanical clock, believed to have been made around 1386. It has no face or recognisable hands, meaning it's a far cry from today's wall clocks—you'd be unlikely to guess its use if it weren't surrounded by signs! The mechanics work as well today as they ever have, connected to a rope leading all the way up a bell in a tower above, which marks every hour. It's not every day you see medieval technology in action! See our full list of recommended hotels near Salisbury Cathedral and also compare the prices with vacation rentals near Salisbury Cathedral Peer into the beautiful font The modernity of the cathedral's font stands out among the ancient architecture, but it is equally beautiful.

It was installed to mark the 750th anniversary of the cathedral's consecration, takes the form of a cross and is designed to be constantly overflowing. The font's best feature is definitely what can be seen in the surface of the water; despite its gentle flow, the surface is as smooth as a mirror, and as a result the stunning stained glass windows create the most amazing reflections in the font below. See our full list of recommended hotels near Salisbury Cathedral and also compare the prices with vacation rentals near Salisbury Cathedral See the famous Magna Carta Source: Salisbury Cathedral's website The Magna Carta is one of the most famous documents in the world. It dates back to 1215, when King John was convinced to sign it to prevent a civil war, and some of its 63 clauses are still in effect in UK law today such as the right to a fair trial. This is the best opportunity you will have to witness this iconic document for yourself, as Salisbury Cathedral is proud to own the best preserved copy still in existence. There are always experts available to answer any questions you may have, and as the Magna Carta was written in Latin there is an English translation displayed so you can understand everything the King was agreeing to.

This amazing document has inspired constitutions and political agreements ever since, including the US Constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights, so visiting Salisbury Cathedral gives you the chance to see a real piece of world history. See our full list of recommended hotels near Salisbury Cathedral and also compare the prices with vacation rentals near Salisbury Cathedral Visit an important part of English history All this and much more can be seen in Salisbury Cathedral, which truly deserves its fame and reputation. Come and visit and be surrounded by English history and beauty, all encapsulated in an iconic building. England Cathedrals England Cathedrals Home Page Below is a list of the top England Cathedrals with Websites, Images and Reviews, such as Durham , Liverpool , St Paul's , York Minster , Lincoln and more. A Cathedral is a Christian Church that contains the seat of a Bishop, it has nothing to do with the size of the building, although most Bishops have their seats in the largest churches in their area. Some are the largest by volume, type, highest, longest, or the oldest. Click on Post-Codes for Reviews and Maps.

The Accommodation links are set for Hotels, can be changed to B&B or Self Catering Liverpool Anglican Cathedral 331 feet high, 620 feet long Built from 1904-1978, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is situated on St James' Mount, in the centre of Liverpool. This Cathedral is said to be the the largest in the UK, and the fifth largest in the world by area. Free to visit, small donations are encouraged. Phone number 0151 709 6271. Accommodation Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral 278 feet high Built from 1962-1967, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the centre of Liverpool, close to the huge Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. This cathedral attracts visitors for its design rather than size. Free to visit, small donations are encouraged. Phone number 0151 709 9222.

Accommodation St Paul's Cathedral 365 feet high, 518 feet long Built from 1665-1710, St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral situated at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the centre of London. This cathedral is said to be the second largest in England, 17th largest in the world. Many famous people are buried in St Paul's such as Nelson, Wellington, Sir Alexander Fleming, and the architect who designed the cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren. Charges to enter are about £18 adult. Phone number 020 7246 8350. Accommodation Westminster Abbey 225 feet high, 513 feet long Built 1245-1745, The Collegiate Church of St Peter is better known as Westminster Abbey. Situated in the centre of London, next to the Parliament building, many royals have been crowned here, and many buried within its walls, also, some of the most famous people in British history are buried here, so many, there is little space left for any more tombs. Charges to enter are about £20 adult.

Phone number 020 7222 5152. Accommodation York Minster Cathedral 234 feet high, 524 feet long Built from 1220-1480, York Minster is a huge Gothic cathedral in York, northeast England. This is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the UK, 4th largest Gothic cathedral in the world by volume after Seville , Cologne & Amiens . Charges to enter are about £15 adult. Phone number 01904 557 200. Accommodation Lincoln Cathedral 525 ft high original now 271 ft, 470 ft long Built from 1185-1311, Lincoln Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral situated in the centre of Lincoln/ England. This was the tallest building in the world for 249 years from 1300-1549. The 524 feet high central spire was never rebuilt after it collapsed in 1549. The only Cathedral to exceed this height is the 530 feet high Ulm Munster in Germany.

Charges to enter are about £5 adult. Phone number 01522 561 600. Accommodation Salisbury Cathedral 404 feet high, 442 feet long Built from 1220-1258, Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral situated in the town of Salisbury, south of England. The cathedral has the highest church spire in the UK at 404 ft, has the world's oldest working clock from 1386, and has one of the four original copies of Magna Carta. Tower tours cost about £10 for adults. Phone number 01722 555 120. Accommodation Winchester Cathedral 556 feet long, Present building built 1094-1300s, Winchester Cathedral is one of the largest in England, claimed to be the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe. King Alfred of Wessex used Winchester for his main city in 827, and Edward the Confessor was the last king to be crowned in the Old Cathedral in 1043. Most kings were crowned at Westminster Abbey after this time, as London became the capitol of England.

The novelist Jane Austen was buried in Wnchester Cathedral in 1817 . The tombs of many Saxon Kings were moved from the old building to this one. Tours from £3. Phone number 01962 857 200. Accommodation Canterbury Cathedral 236 ft high, 515 ft long, built 1070-1834 Canterbury Cathedral in the county of Kent, is one of the oldest, and most famous Cathedrals in England. There are many famous people buried here, including the Archbishop Thomas Becket. Charges to enter are about £10 adult. Phone number 01227 762 862. Accommodation Durham Cathedral 218 feet high, 469 feet long, built 1093-1133 Durham Cathedral, in northeast England, is claimed to be one of the top Norman buildings in England, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Durham Castle that is connected to the cathedral by Palace Green . Free to visit, small donations are encouraged. Phone number 0191 386 4266.

Accommodation Wells Cathedral 160 feet high, 383 feet long, built 1176-1490 Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral situated in Somerset, southwest England. This cathedral is claimed to be one of the top examples of early English architecture. Free to visit, donations are encouraged. Phone number 01749 674 483. Accommodation St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle built 1475-1500s St George's Chapel is situated within the walls of the huge Windsor Castle, 22 miles west of London. The chapel is the size of some cathedrals, and the burial place of many royals, such as most recent: King George VI in 1952, Princess Margaret (ashes) in 2002, & Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) in 2002. Also the burial place of Henry VIII. Visitor fees for the castle and chapel are about £18 per adult. Phone number 01753 848 888.

Accommodation Lichfield Cathedral 252 feet high, built 1200-1340 Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Staffordshire/ England, about 20 miles north of Birmingham. This is claimed to be the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Cathedral was badly damaged during the English Civil war. Restoration began in the 1660s. Entrance is free with donations encouraged. Visitor Guides are available at about £2 and Souvenir Books at about £8. Phone number 01543 306 100. Accommodation Ripon Cathedral built 1160-1547 Ripon Cathedral is the cathedral of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small city of Ripon, about 34 miles north of Leeds, built in Anglo-Saxon/ Gothic style. Below the Cathedral, from an earlier church, is claimed to be one of the oldest complete crypts in Europe from 672. Free visits. Phone number 01765 602 072.

Accommodation Rochester Cathedral built 1179-1238 Rochester Cathedral is a Norman structure situated in Kent, 31 miles southeast of London. The bishopric is claimed to be the second oldest in England, with Canterbury being the oldest. The cathedral is only 306 feet long, but its nave is said to be the oldest in England, and it has an interesting Norman crypt. Free to enter with donations encouraged. Phone number 01634 843 366. The Oldest Working Clock in Existence - Salisbury Cathedral Clock - UK - YouTube The Oldest Working Clock in Existence - Salisbury Cathedral Clock - UK Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Sep 9, 2011 The Oldest working clock in Existence - Salisbury cathedral clock - UK The Salisbury Cathedral clock, a large iron-framed clock without a dial located in the aisle of Salisbury Cathedral.

Dating from about 1386, it is the oldest working clock in the world. The clock is one of the group of 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the West of England. (See also Wells, Exeter, Ottery St Mary, and Wimborne Minster.) It can be dated to around 1386, and most of the parts are original. Other clocks from the 14th century (the first century in which the mechanical clock flourished throughout Europe), such as those at Rouen or Dijon, have either been lost, destroyed, or substantially modified. The Wells Cathedral clock might have been made by the same craftsmen as the Salisbury clock, but is usually dated to around 1392, and is now relocated in the Science Museum in London, where it continues to operate. Category

Question: Which English cathedral has the world's oldest medieval clock?
Answer: SALISBURY